Life and Whatever
by FutureFaith
Summary: Because even though we only get one chance to make it right- no big deal. Reality can be a lot scarier than battling supervillains and saving cities, and at the end of the day, it's just about not screwing up tomorrow. Which is a lot harder than it seem.
1. Chapter 1

Hello everyone! I'm FutureFaith, and this is my very first submission to . This is the very first day I'm able to publish, and I'm really excited! I hope I do it right...I've had boatloads of stories- little snippets that never got finished- taking up folders in my desk and in my computer, and I finally had the chance to create an account. The very first thing I'm going to do after publishing is go around and comment on all my fav stories that I've always enjoyed but never got around to commenting on. I'm open to any kind of critique- critisicm, praise, anything (just don't curse me, please! I'm faint of heart! *swoons*). I'd love feedback so I can make changes before I upload again. Suggestions make writing bloom!

Anyway, I'll stop typing now because I'm sure most people don't read long author notes (I myself am guilty!). Please read and enjoy the first chapter in my new drabble series, Life and Whatever. It's supposed to be about the everyday mishaps of the Legion (not that that sounds very unique...) and I've worked hard to make them funny and interesting. These first few chapters feature two of my favorite characters: Brainiac 5 and Invisible Kid. They're somewhat short...The drabbles will feature a variety of pairings, 'cause I'm open to almost everything!

Well, that's it! I do not own Legion of Superheroes or any of the characters on the show or in the comics. They all belong to whatever comic company owns them (DC comics?) If I did...well, let's just say there would be more seasons. An unending amount of seasons. And they would all feature B5 in some way or another. But I don't. And that is why I am here.

* * *

**1. Doodads and Gizmos**

"Can I try….?"

"NO."

"Why not?"

"Because I said so."

"Why did you say so then?"

"Because it is my lab, my equipment, my…stuff. Don't touch anything or leave."

"You don't want me to leave? Aw…"

"Let me rephrase my wish... demand. If you are to lay a hand on any of these things, rest assured you will be limping very painfully tomorrow, not to mention I won't let you into here ever again."

"Oh…. Alright then."

"Very good."

The Coluan and the invisible boy stood side by side in front of a lab counter, the green one fiddling with a whatcha-macallit and the brunette keeping a safe distance away.

"What's that?" Invisible Kid pointed to a thingamabob. "A reverse-polarity device," Brainiac 5 responded mechanically, never taking his eyes off his invention. "And this?" Lyle pointed to a doohickey. "A mechanism for changing appearances. Not completed. Step away." Querl warned, waving his arm out. "And what's this?" Lyle asked again, gesturing to yet another gizmo sitting on a stretch of what seemed like endless doodads…

"An automatic space-time transmogrifier. Are you done?" Brainy eyed Lyle nervously. "What are you trying to do?"

"Noth-ing!" the Legionnaire chuckled. "Just showing respect for your vast knowledge that would be required to build this amazing display of thingys!"

"Thing-ys?" The green boy inquired, pronouncing it like a foreign word. "What in Vril's name is a 'thingy'?"

"This!" Lyle spectacularly held up one of the inventions, proudly displaying it while cartoon fireworks shot up around him. Brainy looked unimpressed. "I suppose I will never understand your curious human ways…" he said, returning his attention to the device.

"You could just say I'm weird, ya know," Lyle laughed playfully. "Then I'd know what you mean."

"You're weird," Brainy said. Lyle smiled.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello everyone, it's me, FutureFaith, again. It's been very short time that I've posted again, but like I said, I've had these saved for months. And, I received such positive encouragment! valerie21601, thank you so much! It really gave me butterflies in my stomach...I've never showed anyone my work before, let alone fanfiction, so to hear someone actually enjoyed it was so wonderful...now, I'm not so nervous about publishing anymore. I know, I must sound so lame...Anyway, chapter 2. Considerably longer than chap. 1, but still featuring Brainy and Lyle. You can do so much with them! But it also features other Legionaires as well. And once again, I do not own Legion of Superheroes or any characters associate with it. Must I say it again? But...you never know. I could be the inventor of LOSH in disguise and then I wouldn't need a disclaimer! But...I'm not...sadly... so no, I don't own it, just for clarification.**

**Please continue! Thank you!**

**2. Bring it On**

"IT'S SNNNOOOWWWWIIINNNNGGG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Barely the crack of dawn is the hour of which the Legionnaire known as Invisible Kid awoke, and so before 7 o'clock the rest of the clubhouse was awoken to a war cry declaring a snow day.

He wasn't the only one excited, of course. Like little kids flocking to the ice cream man, the other boys crowded to the windows in awe while the girls made hot chocolate.

"It hasn't snowed for months!" Bouncing Boy oohed.

"Huh! That's cause it's only December, pea-brain. It hasn't gotten cold enough for that," Lightning Lad countered. "Of course, it is pretty awesome…"

"I say we grab the sleds and hit the slopes!" Superman suggested. "We'll have snowball fights and- what?!" He noticed the rest of his friends staring at him. "Don't you do that stuff in the 31rst century?"

"Of course!" Cham said. "We just didn't expect to hear that from you."

Superman deflated and said, "Gee, thanks, guys," as the boys screamed, "TO THE SLEDS!!!!"

"Their inner children are coming out, "Saturn Girl observed amusingly. "Well, I say if you can't beat 'em, join 'em!" Triplicate Girl laughed, running after Bouncy to get her hat and gloves.

Soon, everyone was outside, hooting with happiness and chucking snowballs at each other. Phantom girl made a snow dog sculpture, and jokingly name it "Timber Puppy". Timber Wolf attempted to make a snowman to resemble something of her, but it crumpled in a frozen heap. Tinya grabbed his arm and dragged him into the snow war that was now staged on the front lawn. Team One consisted of Invisible Kid, Superman, Saturn Girl, Triplicate Girl, and. Bouncing Boy. Team Two was Lightning Lad, Timber Wolf, Phantom Girl, Chameleon Boy, and Shrinking Violet. The opposing sides battled each other fiercely, only breaking it up when the girls announced a lunch break.

Back inside, after shedding his wet snowsuit and snow covered boots, Lyle Norg set off in search of his intellectual counterpart. He almost instantly found the green skinned Coluan in his safe haven working on some invention. Which he seemed to be constantly doing.

"Hey! Brainy! It's snowing! Why don't you leave your cult of mechanical voodoos and join us for a game?"

"What?" the boy looked around with an incredulous expression on his face. "What did you say?"

"Never mind that, "Lyle dodged. "Why don't you come out with us? Lightning Lad's team is beating us 17 to 15, and no matter how many snowballs Superman throws, Timber Wolf digs up a bigger fort."

"What are you talking about?!" Brainy questioned, annoyed his alone time had been interrupted. Lyle shook his head.

"Honestly, you can't hear all that commotion from outside? We're in the middle of Snowball War One out there, and the enemy has the advantage."

"Snowball War One? With what are you staging this with? Dirt?"

Lyle stared openly at Brainy, who began to shift uneasily. "Surely you've noticed it's snowing?"

The Coluan looked out the window. "Oh, yes, it seems to be."

Well, that solved one problem.

"So will you come outside with us?"

"No. "Lyle mentally kicked himself.

"Why not!?"

"I'm in the middle of this."

"Looks like you could leave it for a while." "I really can't." "You could if I forced you." "You wouldn't dare." "Oh, I would."

With that, Lyle began to advance on the teen, who narrowed his eyes dangerously. "Don't you think about that, Lyle N-"

The blonde's patronizing sentence was cut off as Lyle flipped him over his shoulder and began to carry him from the room. "Wha-? INVISIBLE KID, YOU PUT ME DOWN RIGHT NOW, OR SO HELP ME YOU WILL WAKE UP TOMORROW WITH AN ARTIFICIAL LIMB, DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME???!!!!!"

"What was that, sorry? You screamed so loud I think I'm deaf now. I can't hear you."

Brainy decided it was no use, and very energy draining on his part, to argue any more. He allowed himself to be carried to the main room and proudly displayed like a hunter's trophy in front of his amused friends.

"Brainy's on our team! You guys don't stand a chance!" Lyle laughed, pointing at Lightning Lad.

"We'll see about that. Your aim's about as good as a toddler carrying a baseball bat wearing a blindfold. You couldn't hit a skyscraper,"Lighting Lad snickered.

Brainy actually felt noticeably angry. Lyle had a very good shot, and it was only a stupid game, so there was no reason for Lightning Lad to be rude. Least of all to Lyle, who couldn't know cruelty if it danced naked in front of him wearing an Uncle Sam hat.

"You will lose, Lightning Lad, "Brainy smirked, "I will make sure of that."

Outside, Team One took refuge in their pitiful fort. "I won't pretend we've got the best location," Lyle said, taking charge and sounding very official, "But we've got a good team. And a secret weapon," he said, grinning evilly at Brainy. "Oh, we do, do we?" the Coluan said nervously. "Yeah, we do," Lyle finished.

Team One beat Team Two with a landslide victory of 57 to 30. By putting snow in Brainy's super cannons and taking out the dangerous missiles, and combining them with Superman's super strength and speed, they were able to take the bad situation and turn it around.

And Brainy actually had fun.

As the Legionnaires stumbled back into the clubhouse for more cocoa, Lyle asked Brainy how it was. "Wet," he answered. "Tomorrow?"

"You go on the opposite team, then, "Lyle said surprisingly. "We'll see who's better."

"You're going down, Norg. Prepare for defeat."

"Ha! Get your tissues ready, Dox. You'll be crying when I'm done with you."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah."

"Bring it on, then, Norg."

"Count on it."


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey everyone, I'm back! I was actually going to upload a few days ago, but my computer had a spazz attack and I couldn't even download my homework (which kinda took all weekend...I'm a procrastinator for everything but my own fun). Anyway, to business. I was kinda split about this chapter- it's definitely different from the first two. They were much lighter and fun, but this one (although hopefully funny!) has more angst and...well...romantic content *teehee*. That means this contains slash- for Lyle and Brainy. I was aprehensive about it because I find it hardest to read and also write romance, since it's so...controversial? Everyone interprets it differently, so many people take offense to what people write...I can't explain it. I hope you all understand *sigh*. Anyway...I'm going to try and write chapters with different characters and pairings. I can garauntee most all of them will have the lovely Brainiac 5, because I worship the ground he walks on (in...the TV...???) So, if you don't like this pairing, come back when there's something else (BrainyClark? BrainyLightning? whatevs). If you don't like slash, come back when there's none (BrainyVi? SaturnLightning? whatevs) I'll try to write a whole variety so everyone's satisfied. I've got no problems if you wanna skip. Or if you don't wanna read. Hey, I'm not gonnna tell you what to do. I totally respect anyone's preferences and opinions- so if you've got a suggestion, lay it on me! Critisicm? I'd love some! Mean jabs? Keep them to yourself, please. I'll follow suit. I won't lie, but the one thing I can't stand is people who see a great piece of work but critisize it harshly because they don't agree with the 'message'. I'm not saying that I'm a good author at all (oh no!) but if they can **_write? _**Let them think what they want! Can't we all respect each other's opinions? Keep 'em to yourselves, please! Oh...great...I sound like a mean, cranky person now who always writes too much. Sorry!**

**Thanks to everyone who wrote reviews. I sound like a sap, but I'm a sucker for kind words. They really made me feel great inside! And...I'll try and come up with another snow idea. I liked how that one turned out! **

**Alright, is that all? I think so...again, this contains slash (nothing too intense, **_puh-lease, _**I've got a faint heart) so if that's not your thing, I apologize. I promise, there'll be something for you soon! Um...please review? I love you all? Thanks for taking the time to read this? Yeah, that sounds right...**

**I don't own Legion of Superheroes or any of the characters associated with it. Gosh, that really sounds familiar...**

**Read on! **

* * *

**3. Solitaire**

"Hey, Brainy, wanna play solitaire with me?"

"Not particularly."

"But, you haven't taken a break from that in, like, hours. You must need one."

"Science waits for no one, Invisible Kid. "

"And I'm not waiting for you to tell me to sprock off. We're playing solitaire."

"And if I refuse?"

"I'm telling the whole of headquarters Brainiac 5 is afraid to play a mere human in a game of cards. He's afraid his 12th level intelligence isn't good eno-"

"When do we start?"

* * *

Brainiac 5 sighed. Why on earth did he agree to such a stupid game? To top it off, Lyle made him promise that if he won, Brainy would have to do whatever Lyle wanted him to do. But he said if Brainy turned down the game, he would tell everyone. Brainy had rolled his eyes. _Why shouldn't he play?_ he asked himself. He'd just win, anyway. Pathetic, that's what it was. This game was so easy he could finish it in less than 5 minutes. Yet Lyle sat across from him, taking an unbearable amount of time to make each move. It was driving Brainy mad.

"Shouldn't there be a time limit on this?" he asked, letting his voice drawl out to show Lyle his unending boredom.

"That would allow for a lot of mistakes, then. People would rush to make their moves before time ran out and then miss a move. This game is supposed to make you think and consider things before rushing into them. That's why there is no time limit. Keep your brains in, I'm almost done."

Sticking his tongue out of the corner of his mouth, Lyle carefully picked up a card and placed it on another pile. Relieved they were getting somewhere, Brainy snatched a card he had been waiting to move on his own side and hastily set it on another spot. "Go again, Lyle," he said tiredly. "And hurry up this time."

But Lyle wasn't listening. He was eyeing Brainy's side with intense interest, the corners of his mouth slowly turning upward.

"What?" Brainy asked suspiciously.

"Bad move," Lyle chuckled.

Brainy looked down at his card layout, searching it for the 'bad move' Lyle spoke of. He had taken his black ace of four and moved it up to the top where the other aces pile was, and that was just fine, wasn't it? But then he saw a red spade of five card in another pile he could have put it under, and then next turn he could have put the black clover of three underneath it to free up another pile. Groaning, he shook his head. "How could I have not seen that?"

"You rushed," Lyle smirked.

The game continued on for what seemed like forever, with much grumbling on the Coluan's part. His impatience was continually getting the better of him, and each time he rushed after being driven insane by Lyle's unbearable patience, he made yet another mistake. By the end, he was pulling his hair out as Lyle put all the kings on top of the pile. The 12th level intelligence-lacking human won.

"Is that your strategy?" Brainiac 5 questioned exasperatedly. "To drive me so out of my mind with your painstaking carefulness that I mess up?"

"Well, it wasn't at the beginning," Lyle said laughing. "But it worked pretty well, I have to admit. You should play with me more often. You learn a new skill every day!"

Brainy flopped over onto his back, reeling at his ultimate defeat._ Lyle beat me! _he thought. _A mere game of cards, but he still beat me! Imagine if this gets out to the others; they'll never let me live it down_.

"So what do I have to do?" he asked, remember the promise he made. "Not something too bad, I hope," he wished out loud.

Lyle suddenly had a very mischievous look on his face. "Hmm….what should I make you do?"

Brainy became increasingly agitated as the seconds wore on. He could not count on Lyle being nice and letting him off easy. He would make sure that Brainy was so humiliated by losing and whatever he made him do that he would be scarred for life.

"I've got an idea. You probably won't like it, though. But that doesn't really matter, does it?"

Brainy looked up. "What is it?"

"Kiss me."

It took a minute for the realization of what Lyle said to really kick in. When it finally did, Brainy jumped back with a shocked look on his face. "What? What?! What did you say?!?!"

Lyle smirked. He knew he'd get this reaction. "You heard me loud and clear. Kiss me, and we'll call it even."

Lyle wanted to burst out laughing at the look on his friend's face, but he had to keep his face serious otherwise Brainy might decide to hit him and leave. He would probably think the whole dare thing was a joke, and call it off.

"You're not serious. Are you?"

Lyle only shrugged and smiled some more. Better to make him uneasy than disgusted.

"It's that, or……"

Brainy shuddered. Or having the whole Legion know Lyle had beaten him at a lame game of solitaire. After he had worked so hard to build up his reputation as the smartest Legionnaire, unable to be beaten at anything scientific, Lyle came along and tore it all down. And now he had to do this.

"That's stupid. Do something else."

Lyle shook his head. "That's my condition. Kiss me, or I'll tell. You don't want me to tell, do you?" He ended his sentence in a funny little voice, giving him a million dollar smile.

That was met with the evilest glare he could ever imagine. "Sprock you, Lyle Norg. Go to hell."

Lyle looked at him. Brainy stared back.

For over 5 minutes, they just stared at each other.

Then Lyle closed his eyes and looked away. "Poor Brainiac 5. Defeated by a simple card game by his dumb assistant. Who knew a 12th level intellect would make such drastic decisions? A bold path to descend on, to choose to show that even a perfect, talented, faultless person makes mistakes, and just to show the world-"

Lyle stopped mid-sentence by the pressure on his mouth that prevented him from speaking. He was really surprised; he hadn't expected Brainy to actually summon up the guts to do it. His friend had leaned over as he was ranting to the air and pressed his lips against his own. Fulfilling Lyle's crazy demand to kiss him. He actually did it. _I guess he cares so much about his reputation that he'd do anything. _

And just as he started to back away, Lyle grabbed the back of head and held him still. He could feel his eyelashes brush against his face as he opened his magenta eyes in shock. He didn't really care now, all he could think about was how soft his hair was and how good it felt to finally get all his pent-up emotions out, how he had been dreaming about this for such a long time…

He didn't let go of his head for a long time. When he finally did, the blonde immediately withdrew his lips, but their faces stayed close. It was so quiet they could hear each other's heartbeat. Lyle realized he was still leaning over their game, tilted so he was almost looking down at Lyle. They were so still, so close that he could feel his olive skin trembling against his. Eventually the Coluan pulled back, sitting back down on his side of the forgotten card game. He seemed lost and distant- his eyes glazed over, his shoulders slumped, his hands limp. Lyle had never seen him like this, and it made him considerably frightened.

He took his chances and slid over to his friend- god, his _crush_- and gently placed his hand on his blonde bangs-covered forehead. He didn't move, so Lyle knew there must be something wrong.

"Um…uh…" he started, believing he would just come up with something to say and they would forget it all and go on like before. Heck, he even had some crazy fantasy back when they were staring at each other that he might throw himself on him and they would both confess their secret infatuations…but now he realized just how insane that was. He may not have known much about the elusive, sophisticated Coluan, but he did know that much- that he was sophisticated. Refined. Elite. Classy, if you will. He didn't settle for anything less than more than perfect. He had such high standards for everyone, even higher for himself, that it was crazy of Lyle to think he could make the cut. Brainiac 5 was just the kind of person who could have anything, anyone he wanted…he was smart, he was polished, he was distinguished, and hell, he was something to look at, that was for sure (after all, his looks were what caught Lyle's eye in the first place. It wasn't till after that he learned his IQ). Lyle was just a plain Jane- a mutt. He had no place. How could he have not seen that? Surely, surely the blonde was cursing him now in his mind, unable to imagine why he did it…he must be angry, he must be disgusted…and so, Lyle found himself unable to speak.

As he was struggling to breath, the immobile head of bright gold-blonde hair lifted up and he found himself face-to-face with the deep eyes, dark skin, and dangerous lips he had fallen for. His heart skipped a beat…he couldn't read the expression on his face. It was stony and blank, as usual.

"Uh…w-why d-d-don't we j-just…f-for-get it-t…" he mumbled and stumbled, looking down at the floor. The cards were scattered about, blood red and pitch black arrows and daggers facing up and seeming to stab his heart. "I-I'm s-sor…so-r-ry…"

At that moment a very cool, hard surface came into contact with his cheek and roughly sent him flying backward into a work bench. It came out of nowhere and caught him off guard, so he was huffing and puffing in shock and pain as a petite figure clad in purple and black stalked up to him and grabbed him by the collar with one hand. He barely had time to think as his eyes connected with magenta pools and he found himself being kissed again. He no longer felt connected to the floor, and he seemed to be floating up, passing through the ceiling and the clouds and into space, time flitting past him like a blur, and…as soon as it began it ended, and he was staring down at the collected face he had memorized, that was now staring him down, mouth a thin, hard line, but ever so turned up at the edges…

"If you _ever_ do that to me again-" Brainiac 5 began, tightening his iron grip around the brunette's throat, "-you will wake up breathing through a tube," he finished with a signature bodily-harm threat. "So do us both a favor…and don't do that without permission." The hold was released, and Lyle sank down to the floor, gasping for air. With a satisfied head toss, the blonde turned on his heel and began to strut to the door, intending to leave the mess for the other to clean up. But before he reached the door, Lyle called out to him.

"So does that mean I can do it _with_ your permission?" Hope and expectation was creeping into his voice, and the Coluan worked hard to keep his face straight. He turned to face Lyle, still lying on the floor, and put his hand on his hip.

"We'll see," he said, and left the room.

Lyle, although his head was pounding with lack of oxygen and his throat felt like it was on fire, stared at the empty doorway in a daze for a moment, then burst into hysterical laughter, sinking down all the way to the floor. Several Legionnaires passing by looked in concerned, but they kept going, hoping to avoid any conflict. And he kept laughing and laughing, because he was so _stupid_, and so _careless_, and so _brainless_, but for once in his life things turned out right, and maybe, just maybe, he would be happy for once and prove his worth to someone who actually cared, someone who actually loved him as much as they said they did. He was sure that the Coluan had no idea just how strong such an emotion could be to someone like him, to someone with no hope left, but he was sure, somewhere deep inside the harsh, cold exterior, was a person crying out for love and attention just as much as he was. And for that, he was grateful. For that, he was hopeful.


	4. Chapter 4

**Wow, it's been a while :) For some reason, this week in school was especially dificult for everyone. I think every single person in my class- including me- got to bed no earlier than twelve every day. The teachers all decided to in their secret cult to assign huge projects to doom us all (now that's just my speculating, but...) Not to mention the musical was going up, so I had to deal with that...now I have 'Do Re Mi' and 'Maria' stuck in my head. And I've found it very hard to focus on trigonometric functions and DBQs so I gave up and decided to write. Now that I'm finished, I might be able to force myself to get back to work (gotta love that nice feeling of accomplishment). Or...maybe not. Anyway, for all you people who have been looking for a change (cause I know my chapters must be getting pretty boring with the same characters all the time, sorry), this one is for the BrainyVi lovers out there (that's ME!!!!!!!!!! cause I support everything:) ). I've had so many ideas and I didn't know what to choose...so as usual, I picked none of them and went off on some completely different idea. And I added another character that I've never considered before, so that was fun! (If she seems OOC, pardon me) I appreciate all the lovely reviws that make me feel so great!!! It's great to know that people acknowledge that you're putting yourself out there by publishing stuff...at least for me, it is. Like yesterday at a friend's sleepover, for some reason we were talking about past pets and my friend mentioned how you can feel them watching over you and I just _lost it, _I don't even know how, and everyone stopped talking to comfort me and I realized how every day I feel like strangling them because there's always some little tiff going on but these people are really the ones who've accepted me for who I am and I love them dearly...heck, I cried more in front of them than I do my parents! Oh jeez, I didn't mean to vent all that...but if felt good! Maybe I'll use it to write a chapter. There's nothing like real-life emotional outbursts to make a great fanfiction. Maybe I'll read Kingdom Hearts too, since all my friends seem to be obsessed with it. **

**Eh...right after I study for AP World. :) Like that's gonna happen. College credit, out the window! OK, guys, I'm sorry you had to read that junk. Let's get to business shall we? This is gonna be a nice (hopefully) BrainyVi fic with interjections by Dream Girl and a little uncharacteristic angst from our favorite purple flower. One tiny curse, no biggie, and nothing else to worry about. **

**I don't own Legion of Superheroes or anything associated with it. Wait wait, I think I've heard this before...seriously, this is getting repetitive. OK...please read and review! Reviews make the world go round! I'm no begger...*PLEASEPLEASE* cough, sorry. Thank you all so much! **

4. Trippin' and Stumblin'

"Hey! _Hey_!! HEY!!!"

A head of shiny black-and-purple hair snapped up with enough force to break a cinderblock. A porcelain-coloured face with deep violet eyes looked up at the impatient girl tapping her foot in front of her.

"Oh- woops! Sorry, Dream Girl, I didn't catch that. What were you saying?" the distracted girl rattled off, stretching her purple-lipstick-covered lips into a _lets-just-forget-what-just-happened_ smile. Dream Girl, however, was not amused.

"What's wrong with you, Vi?" Nura questioned the petite Salu, who was currently slouched over an enormous pile of digipads and looking very distressed. "Is all this work overloading you, or what?"

Vi chuckled, looking down at the massive amount of work she was supposed to be sorting through. "Yeah, that's it…" she said, trailing off and gazing across the main room. Her eyes glazed over and her face relaxed…not unnoticed by Nura, once again.

Nura carefully tiptoed over to where Salu was dreamily staring off into apparent nothingness, and bent down to align her eyesight with hers. She followed her line of sight across the room where a group of boys- the usual committee: Lightning Lad, Cosmic Boy, Bouncing Boy, Superman, Timberwolf, Chameleon Boy, and Brainiac 5- were arguing about some plan or another (she really couldn't keep up with the latest escapades, no matter how many lengthy and extremely detailed updates that her favorite green Coluan always sent everyone). In fact, Violet's gaze seemed surprisingly close to the blond genius, who was (for once) standing a few feet away from the group and patiently waiting for his turn to speak and command them into silence. But if Vi was staring at Brainiac 5…

Nura smirked. That would mean she was right all along.

She backed up and casually perched on the edge of the table, careful not to knock over the precarious pile of pads.

"He looks at you, you know," she said offhandedly, examining her nails and running them through her long, smoky-blue hair. She counted to five before the other girl processed what she said and sat up abruptly.

"What?" Violet asked. She hadn't heard exactly what Nura had said, but the tone of her voice sent shivers up her spine. "What did you say?"

"I said, he watches you," Nura repeated, not looking at her friend.

"Huh?! Who watches me?!" Violet demanded, sounding frantic, and looking over her shoulder like she expected to see a creepy photographer peeking at her.

"Brainiac 5," Dream Girl nonchalantly.

"WHAT???!!!" Violet screamed, jumping up to confront Nura. However, her outburst was loud and uncharacteristic for such a small, peaceful girl, and the group of boys who had previously been tearing each other apart over some plan, all looked up curiously at her. Violet turned red as she felt their gazes boring into her- a bright flash of color caught the corner of her eye, and she turned ever so slightly to meet eyes with the Coluan in question, his face surprisingly concerned. Violet turned an even deeper shade, and she turned around on her heels to face Nura. After a few minutes, they went back to their occupation.

"_What did you say_?!" Violet hissed at Dream Girl, who only shook her head and rolled her eyes.

"Honestly, how many times do I have to repeat myself?" she said. "For the last time, I just said that Brainiac 5 watches you."

"_Watches me?_" Violet shrieked quietly. "What does that mean?"

"What do you think it means?" Nura said, annoyed. Honest to all, she loved her dear friend, but damn, this girl was just so oblivious.

"But…tha…eh…gh…" was all the shrinking girl could make out. Nura leaned over and comfortingly patted her shoulder.

"It's not a bad thing," she chided, "don't get so worked up. Every once in a while- now, I couldn't help but notice how he looks at you- very discreetly, mind you, that's what caught my eye- for just a little longer than necessary. When you two work in the lab- now, I didn't mean to spy, I just happened to be there- he holds onto your hand just a _little_ longer when he passes you something…like a tool. Now, Brainiac 5 is just about the most no-nonsense person I've ever met, so that's why those little things interested me. It's not quite him, is it, getting distracted by you, his assistant? Now, this is just me, but I think he's a little more interested in you than he lets on," Nura finished, cocking her head at the confused look on her friend's face. "What, do you not understand?"

"No, I just…" Vi began, her hands trembling, and her face drawn. Nura was beginning to get worried at the drastic change in her demeanor.

"I don't think you're right," Vi said, looking down at her feet.

"Wha-at?" Nura questioned, appalled. "You realize who I am, right? I may not be Saturn Girl, but I'm the one who can see the future, right?"

"No, I didn't mean that, but…" Vi mumbled. "I just think that…you don't understand…we're just friends…friends…" she trailed off, her eyes sliding to the side again.

"Yes, but dear, you don't see him like I do," Nura said, patting her again. "You haven't known Brainy as long as I have…he and I go way back," she said, laughing and remembering the flunk that was their first meeting. "Oh man, he hated me…actually it was pretty mutual…eh, but we turned out to be closer that I thought…he's very sensitive, you know. He pretends like he doesn't care on the outside, but on the inside….well, he's definitely a sweetie," she said, trying to make Vi feel better. "I've gotten to understand him so much that I can usually tell his mood with one look. And when he looks at you…it's like everything changes."

"You two are close?" Vi said suddenly, quite off the subject.

"Well, I guess so," Nura speculated. "I mean, I can walk into his lab and not get yelled at. I suppose that means we're practically married!" she laughed, remembering all the times her fellow superheroes had walked through the doors of the lab and found themselves being flung out at speeds not unknown to lightships.

"Oh…" Vi said, looking deep in thought. She refused to meet Nura's eyes.

"Hey…what's wrong?" Dream Girl asked, suddenly getting the feeling the conversation had just turned for the worst.

"No-thing…" Vi said, taking a few steps back. Before Nura could call out to warn her, Vi had quickly turned around to get away and unknowingly banged into the huge pile of digipads. They tipped and swayed, right before falling all over the floor with a mammoth crash. The room was silent for a few moments, Vi just standing there with a horrified look on her adorable Snow White-esque face, until the quiet was broke with loud whistles and yells- "Nice going, Flower Girl!" "Hey, pick that up, why don't ya?" "Smooth move, Vi!" Nura knew that the boys only meant well- nobody in the room was blatantly mean (except for Cosmic Boy, on some occasions, when it came to Lightning Lad and Saturn Girl- and occasionally Brainiac 5) and Vi was such a wonderfully helpful, positive, intoxicatingly-cheerful person than no one could help but tease her lovingly- but now their good-naturedness was not appreciated. Now, it was probably just making her feel worse.

"Oh gosh, Vi, let me help…" she tried to say over the din.

"No…it's my fault…I'll take care of it…" the ebony-haired girl quietly responded, bending down to start scooping up the fallen pads.

Suddenly, another figure joined them, and caused Vi to jump and drop her already collected pile.

"You look like you could use some help…" Brainiac 5 said quietly, observing the curious scene in front of him and _almost_ smiling. He bent down on his knees and began to pick up some of the pads. "So clumsy, Vi. What are we going to do with you?" he chuckled, turning to look at the blushing girl. She refused to meet his eyes, much to his unportrayed confusion (because he would never admit he didn't know what was going on) and she simply shook her head fiercely and turned away from him. Nura scrutinized them for a few moments before standing up and backing away.

"I just remembered… I promised I would help the Trips empty their closet. Apparently, nothing fits them…they want help with a new wardrobe. So…I'll leave you two to it!" she said hastily, excusing herself to leave them alone. Vi looked up at her from under her thick dark bangs and fixed her with a gaze that plainly said _we're not done, you hear?_ Nura sighed, and walked out the door.

It was so hard having to watch those two, so blatantly crushing on each other, but too dignified (Brainy, of course) or embarrassed (definitely Violet) to admit it. Dream Girl prayed for the day when she would have a wonderful, fantastic dream of the two of them finally dropping their awkwardness around each other. Wouldn't it be great, she thought, for Brainy to finally have someone close to him? After spending an entire life in solitary and confinement- tortured, confused, oppressed- and spending so few years in freedom, he deserved someone who could give him happiness and understanding. And Vi- she was the epitome of those! She was the one who could make him smile, she could make him forget his pain, his woe, his nightmares…Nura just knew it!

She remembered that strange look and mumbled words Vi gave her when she said how close they were. What had that meant? All she said was that she had known him for a long time, and they could be practically married, and… oh. Shoot.

Nura leaned up against the wall and groaned loudly. How could she be so stupid? Of course Vi would interpret beyond that statement…how could she _not_, if she was so obviously in love with the Coluan as Nura knew she was? That cutesy tomboy…she must have thought that Dream Girl and Brainy were…ugh. She couldn't even think like that. Sure, he was cute, and sure, he had grown up quite a bit in the last year (a few extra inches and a nice haircut had done him wonders in comparison to the other strapping guys), and sure, the way he fought in battle was amazingly controlled and precise and stare-inducing…but jeez! Brainy was like a brother to her…an annoying, smartass, shunning, clever, rude younger brother yes, but a brother nonetheless. She was 100% sure he felt the same way as she. She couldn't imagine a relationship between the two of them any different than it already was! But, apparently Vi could.

Nura could picture the two of them taking a break from their work to sit side by side, talking quietly to each other and laughing. She could imagine them worrying over each other during an intense mission- she could clearly see spending every waking moment of the day with each other…even if all they did was discuss hydraulics and turbo-engines (yawn). And she couldn't fathom why they couldn't, either.

Eventually she met Triplicate Girl in the hall and practically jumped at a mall-trip invitation to get her out of headquarters until Vi could cool down. As they were walking out the door, she didn't quite squeeze by the two of them- boy genius and girl genius- talking outside the lab as they struggled, laughing, to trade off the stacked piles of digipads in their arms. Vi saw her, and for a second her face became serious and inquisitive, so much so that Nura began to squirm. Then Brainy said something to her that made her break out in a huge grin and laugh her signature laugh. Nura breathed a sigh of relief as she was graciously released…for the moment, at least.

As she walked down the sidewalk, Triplicate and Phantom chatting pointlessly on either side of her, she wished for the impossible- that the world could be fair for one day and give her two most cherished, beloved people just one chance to be happy and live freely. Just one chance…a chance to turn things around, to acknowledge feelings, to fumble and blush and stutter and laugh…one day. A single fair day.

Was that too much to ask?


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey, I'm back! Sooner than I expected, since this week's been crazy. This chapter was actually really fun to write, and it was something that I've never attempted before- Lightning LadxSaturn Girl! This one's for the wonderful Violet Rose--thank you so much for your great reviews! I hope this meets your expectations...Everyone else as well- I appreciate them so much!!!!!! Now, I've got tons of old stuff in notebooks that I need to type up and upload, so expect that the next few weeks. Anyway, not too many comments...I've got to run! I hope you enjoy this! (I had a hard time coming up with a title, though...that's why it's so lame)**

**Disclaimer: I _still _don't own Legion of Superheroes or anything else associated with it. I don't know why you think thats changed.**

* * *

5. Out of Nowhere

"Brainy? You there?" Lightning Lad tentatively knocked on the door of the lab, cautiously peering in. He wouldn't want to be caught dead in the Coluan's domain if the genius wasn't there- that would be a certain death wish.

"Yes, Lightning Lad?" a voice called from the other side of the room. Garth sighed, relieved, and warily tiptoed to where the voice had come from. He didn't want to risk stepping on anything, or knocking some burning chemical over. Eventually, he saw Brainy's bright yellow hair sticking out under a workbench as the tinkering of metal tools became louder.

"Do you need something?" Brainy asked, his voice strained ever so slightly with annoyance that someone was bothering his precious work time. Although Lightning Lad had to give him props-- he'd been making a conscious effort to relax a little more lately. Maybe it was thanks to a certain flower-wearing girl…

"Hey, B5, my pal! Whatcha up to?" he said with fake gusto, looking under the bench. His blue eyes met dark magenta screens, and he worked hard to paste a big grin on his face.

Brainiac 5 sighed, and pulled himself up from under the bench. Propping his elbows on the cold metal surface, not unlike his skin, he stared up at Garth with a laser beam-like inquiring gaze.

"What is ailing you?" he finally said, twirling around the wrench in his fingers, his eyes never leaving Lightning Lad's face.

Garth blanched. "Ailing me? What?! No, no no…" he chuckled, waiving his hands. "There's absolutely nothing wrong…just wanted to see my favorite twelth-level intellect! Who, by the way, looks like he's working on something really cool and complicated that I would love to learn about…" he said, reaching out to touch the cool and complicated thing Brainy was working on. The Coluan slapped his hand away.

"Lightning Lad, you would not be in my lab voluntarily unless you had a problem that could not be solved by anyone else and you were forced to turn to me," Brainy said with a deadpan face, hitting the nail on the head. Garth bit his lip for a few moments, and then with a huge sigh he collapsed on a workbench.

"You got me," he moaned, leaning forward to put his head in his hands. "I've got a _big_ problem, and there's no one around to talk to. Timberwolf's on a grocery trip, Phantom Girl tagged along with him, Triplicate Girl and Shrinking Violet are at the mall, Bouncing Boy dragged Superman to a horror movie, and Cham's doing some spaceship lessons cuz he _still _can't fly."

"Why not Cosmic Boy?" Brainy asked.

"HA! Cosmic Boy? I'd be found floating in the bay with my hands tied up if I tried to ask him for help with _this_ problem!"

"Well, then, where's Saturn Girl?"

At the mention of the blonde empath's name Lightning Lad turned a rather pale color and started rocking back and forth on his heels. Brainy noticed this, and within a second he had figured out exactly what was bothering Garth.

"It's Imra, isn't it?"

"YES!!!" Lightning Lad wailed, his scarred eye flashing. "Yes, it's Imra! It's always Imra!"

To this, Brainy didn't quite know what to say. But he was sure that Garth, an effortless talker, would have no problem telling him everything. Unfortunately, this would put off finishing his project until…

"I just don't know what to do about her!" Garth began, looking at Brainy with pleading eyes. The green-skinned genius sighed, and as if his arms were made of lead weights (which, for anyone's guess, they were) dragged himself up from the floor and made his way to sit next to Lightning Lad on the bench.

"Yes?" he said patiently.

"I doubt everything I say when I'm around her! I question everything I do! I can't stop myself from thinking- _what if she gets mad if I say this? What if she thinks I'm a dumb jock and walks away from me?!_ I feel like I'm going insane when she's not near me! I can't help myself- I start breathing fast, and I feel warm, and my hands get clammy, and…"

Brainiac 5 found himself becoming more and more disturbed by this frighteningly unstable state of his superior. It was rare to see Lightning Lad so upset, and even rarer for him to actually let it show to anyone, let alone Brainy. However, it was not rare by _any_ occasion for him to concern himself with beautiful, tranquil, amorous Saturn Girl.

"…and I feel myself getting angry at anyone who talks to her! That's why I couldn't talk with Cosmic Boy, you know, 'cause he's _always_ with her, telling her she's so smart and lovely, _I_ could tell her that! And then I start thinking, maybe she doesn't think of me as anyone besides a friend, maybe I'm just a jerk! But I don't want her to think of me as just a friend, I want her to see me as cool and strong and nice and…and…worth her time!" Garth was grasping his knees so tightly that his hands were trembling. Brainiac 5 was worried that he might try to hurt himself.

"You are worth her time, Lightning Lad," Brainy said awkwardly, trying to simultaneously comfort the miserable teen and maintaining a dignified, formal conversation. Other than referring to him by his superhero name, it wasn't staying very dignified. Mostly because the red-haired adolescent was currently blowing his nose with the corner of his uniform. When he removed the fabric, his nose was the same angry shade as his hair.

"I don't know that! And you certainly don't know that! I just spend every waking moment of the day thinking about her and wondering if she likes me as much as I do…but then I think, no, she can't possibly, because I love her more than anything in the universe! I love her so much it hurts! But it's not possible for her to love me that much, because she's so kind and wonderful that she's spending all her time worrying and caring about everyone else! I mean, I wouldn't want her to change and focus on me all the time, because that's who she is, that's why I love her! I wouldn't want to take all of her attention…but at the same time, I do! I want her to look at me, and me only! But that doesn't make any sense, does it?" Garth gasped.

"Yes, it does…" Brainy said, not too convincingly. He was still trying to wrap his head around that last long-winded spiel.

"No, it doesn't! Nothing makes sense! I don't know what to do! For the longest time I contemplated telling her, but then I stopped myself because I was afraid she was going to reject me, and I just wanted to go a little longer thinking that maybe she loved me, too. Everyday, I would think- _is today the day? Am I going to tell her how I feel?_ But I see her and I chicken out, and I end up not saying anything, and I make myself look like a fool the rest of the day! I've tried to tell myself that I should be brave, and even if she doesn't love me, I'll away stronger- you know how they always say that there are other fish in the sea? Well, I've tried to tell myself that, but it doesn't work, because at this point I can't imagine myself with anyone but her! I can't imagine myself spending the rest of my life with, or having a family with, but her! She's the one person I want to be with forever!"

"I see…" Brainy said, fidgeting his hands and avoiding Garth's maddened eyes.

"What should I do? Should I tell her, and risk getting rejected, or do I keep quiet? Do I try and forget? I can't forget her…I love her too much! Should I just satisfy myself with being able to be by her side everyday? I'm still able to say good-morning to her each day if I get up early enough…I know where she likes to go to think…she talks to me about everything that worries her, more so than Cosmic Boy, I think, which just makes me feel _so_ much better…and she smiles at me, and when she smiles, I can just feel my heart skip a beat! If I confessed, and she didn't love me as much as I do, would I still be able to see her like that? Would she still smile at me? Would she still talk to me? Do you think it's better to just keep things the same for as long as possible?"

"Well, maybe you…"

"That's what I should do, right? I should just keep my feelings to myself, because unless by the one-in-a-million chance she feels the same way, which I don't think she does, I could only hurt our relationship, right? I would ruin everything…I can't do that! I can't! All right, I know what I'm going to do…just keep going, and try not to screw things up…yeah, that's what I'm going to do…"

Lightning Lad abruptly stood up, bumping the bench and startling Brainy.

"Alright…alright…just gotta…stay normal….thanks for your help, Brainy, I really appreciated it…" Garth said honestly, still sounding a little hysterical. Before Brainy could stop him, he had flew quickly across the lab and disappeared down the hall.

Brainy remained motionless on the bench, staring at the empty space that had been previously occupied by Garth. He was quite unable to speak or think, and was still bewildered by everything that had just happened.

He suddenly heard quiet footsteps outside the door to the lab, and for a second he thought that Lightning Lad had returned. But the person who appeared in the doorway was not the tall, burly redhead, but a slender, pink-and-white clad blonde; the girl who occupied Garth's mind everyday, every night, the object of his love and insanity.

"I heard yelling, and I was worried," Saturn Girl said in her airy, peaceful voice. Her eyebrows creased with concern. She moved into the lab without a second thought- she was one of only three Legionnaires (also Shrinking Violet and Superman) that he allowed inside without a grinding- and she sat down next to him, looking back and forth from his unfinished project to his unusually slouched position, and seemed to understand that something had happened to draw him away from his favorite occupation.

Brainy looked up into her eyes and thought about everything Garth had told him. He probably knew the least about relationships in this tower, and yet, he could tell (and he wasn't sure why no one had yet done anything) that Garth had absolutely nothing to worry about- Imra may put everyone else before herself, but the way she looked at him was unparalleled. The look on her face when she realized he spent almost every waking moment at the hospital by her side when she was hurt…the softness in her eyes when she looked at him…Brainy might not have been love-intuitive, but he had the next best thing to x-ray vision, and he saw everything.

And maybe…he had the chance to turn things around.

"Lightning Lad," he said at last, watching her closely to observe her reaction. "He's having…problems."

Saturn Girl visibly stiffened, and Brainy could see it was killing her not to be able to read his mind and find out what was going on. Her eyes…

"You should probably go talk to him," he suggested, standing up and approaching his project once again. He heard her get up and walk across the lab, her heels clicking rapidly.

"Thank you, Brainy," she called quietly, slipping out the door and walking in the direction of Garth's room.

Brainy stood for a few moments with his tools scattered around him, suddenly realizing he had no idea what to do with himself. Finishing this project seemed so very…unappealing now. He found he had zero interest…a blank field in his mind.

He put down his tools, wiped his hands, and left the lab in search of Violet.


	6. Chapter 6

**HAPPY APRIL FOOL'S DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Ok, it should be illegal for April Fools to be on a weekend or holiday break. I'm home for Easter, and there's absolutely no one to prank! I had to write a really lame joke on FB that I'm sure no one will get. *sigh* This sucks.**

**Haha! *giggles at own expense* Enchantress257 caught my mistake...my bad...yeah, for some reason, 'telepath' just didn't come to me when I was writing about Saturn Girl. I really didn't think 'empath' was the word, but I couldn't for the life of me figure it out. Course, I could have looked it up...whoops :) Thank you very very much for bringing that to my attention, because now I know for the future so I won't mess up again! **

**Ok, anyway, this one was written a long time ago...must have been one of my very first. It's a songfic to 'Look Through My Eyes' sung by Phil Collins (who's a GOD *_*) from the movie Brother Bear. I know, I know, my inner child had a lightbulb moment- it fit so perfectly! It took me a while to type it up since I had to look up the lyrics and add those, too. And the computer was not being cooperative...it's about B5 and Vi, and there's really nothing but good ol' friendship, so I don't think anyone will have a problem. Hopefully :) Alright then, let's get this show on the road! **

**I don't own LOSH or anything associated with it, Brother Bear or anything associated with it, or Phil Collins and his awesomeness (otherwise known as Genesis).**

**6. Look Through My Eyes**

_ There are things in _

_ life you'll learn and_

_ oh, in time you'll face_

A clementine-and-grape iridescent sky shone overhead as the last of the sun's rays filtered through the atmosphere. The Legion Headquarters sat tall and mighty like a great ship in a sea of buildings and people, looming up and over New Metropolis.

Brainiac 5 lay stretched out on one of the sofas in the main room, calmly reading a digipad after a long hard day of battles, false alarms, and a final completion of one of his inventions. A beam of light illuminated the page in front of him, lighting up his eyes and face.

Shrinking Violet quietly walked in, sipping some tea she had made herself earlier. Spotting her friend (who hadn't spotted her yet), she set down her cup and smirked, and tiptoed over behind the couch. Carefully, trying not to let herself be seen, she raised her arms, and…

"Don't even think about it, Shrinking Violet."

Violet let out a long, low sigh. She had been so sure he hadn't seen her, and had taken extra care to be stealthy. But she was a Legionnaire, and she was quick; no one was supposed to notice her, right?

"How'd you know it was me?"

"At first I thought it might be Bouncing Boy, but the footsteps were too light to be his. And face it- you're the only one who would try that who's actually _here_."

_ But out there somewhere_

_ it's all waiting_

_ if you keep believing_

Violet pouted. He had to be so smart, didn't he? Well, she'd show him…

"All right, smart alec, if you think you're so high and mighty, I challenge you to a chess match!"

"No."

"I get to be- wait, you can't say no!"

"I believe I just did."

"But…come on, Brainy. Don't be such a killjoy."

"No, Violet."

"Why, then?"

"Because I'm reading."

"That's no excuse."

"Leave me alone."

"I'm _not_ leaving until you _get up_ and _play_!"

"Forget it. You're legs are going to get tired."

_ So don't run, don't hide_

_ It will be alright_

_ You'll see, trust me_

_ I'll be there watching over you_

Violet nearly exploded. Every time, _every time_, she tried to get him to open up, to have fun, he skulked and pushed her over the edge. His deadpan expression, his _I'm-better-than-you_ attitude, and _especially_ his flat, un-open sentences frazzled her mind and took away her will to try and persuade him. She was always calm and patient with him, always. She was there when nobody else was, when he didn't want anyone else. She thought she'd gotten through to him, but perhaps not.

And now she'd had enough.

_ Just take a look…through my eyes_

_ There's a better place_

_ out there somewhere_

_ Just take a look through my eyes_

_ Everything changes_

_ You'll be amazed what you'll find_

_ If you look through my eyes_

"Honestly, Brainy, I know you're not_ knowledgeable _in the area, but you really make me mad sometimes! You never want to do anything, you're so cold, and just sometimes, you're downright heartless! All the time, you push _anyone_ away who tries to connect. I swear, you act more like a true Brainiac everyday!"

She was breathless by the time she finished, glaring at his still form, and whirled away from him, angrily shuffling papers from the counter and clenching her fists.

Until she picked up on the chilly, stony silence that had engulfed the space between them.

_ There will be times on this journey_

_ All you'll see is darkness_

_ Out there somewhere daylight finds you_

_ If you keep believing_

Slowly, she turned back around to face Brainy, who was staring hard at the wall in front of him, the book lying forgotten in his tightly gripped hands. She looked at his face carefully, and saw something different and distressing in it. Was it…hurt?

"Oh, Brainy, I'm so…" she started.

And then he twisted his head so his magenta eyes rested on her, their steel gleam boring into her skull. From there she could clearly see the lines in his normally empty face, and pain, sadness, and betrayal was etched deeply in. Violet knew she had hurt him more with that last sentence more than all the other disapproving comments she had told him in her whole life, and she realized she was not proud of that. Not at all.

_ So don't run, don't hide_

_ It will be alright_

_ You'll see, trust me_

_ I'll be there watching over you_

She walked back over to the sofa and kneeled down in front of where he lay, silently awaiting his response, bowing her head in apology.

His next words were not the backhanded, hurtful comebacks she expected him to make.

"Someday, you'll be able to see what the world looks like through my eyes, and you'll learn that it's a lot different than what you see," he whispered softly. "It's not pretty and simple, like it is for you. There is pain and suffering everywhere, and I can't escape it. When you say things like that, and you don't realize it, but you're stepping all over me. Pretending I don't care is the only thing that keeps me going. You don't see that. Everything works out in your eyes." He looked out past the windows and into the sky, his gaze wide and sad.

_ Just take a look…through my eyes_

_ There's a better place_

_ out there somewhere_

_ Just take a look through my eyes_

_ Everything changes_

_ You'll be amazed what you'll find_

_ If you look through my eyes_

Violet was quiet for a few moments, contemplating her words before she spoke.

"Where should I stand, so that I can see the same thing?" she asked, and Brainy looked down at her. "Where should I look, so that I can make myself see what you see, and I can better learn your feelings before I hurt you?" She turned her purple eyes up to his. "Where? Where should I look?"

Silence. The noise of the city echoed from outside, voices and beeping and chirps all molded into one, continuous, far-off cacophony.

"Right there is fine," he answered coolly, but his frozen exterior flickered for an instant, and Violet could have sworn she saw some warm, comforting light that was Brainy's true self.

_ All the things that you can change_

_ There's a meaning in everything_

_ And you will find all you need_

_ There's so much to understand_

So she settled herself, cross-legged next to him, almost leaning on the sofa, her chin nearly touching his shoulder, as he allowed her to read along, their eyes traveling together, word for word.

Outside on the balcony, a flurry of evening of evening doves settled down to peck and prune, their grey and pearl feathers picking up golden streaks as the sun finally set below the horizon.

_ Just take a look…through my eyes_

_ There's a better place_

_ out there somewhere_

_ Just take a look through my eyes_

_ Everything changes_

_ You'll be amazed what you'll find_

_ Take a look through my eyes_

**_I was going to do a really lame prank and tell you guys that this was going to be my last chapter because I didn't have time to write anymore, but I decided not too. Too much work...plus I'm sure no one would be amused. Am I right?! So long..._**


	7. Chapter 7

**Woah_. Woah. _I profusely apologize for the eons that it took me to upload this. I actually wrote this the day after I submitted the last chapter, but I wanted to wait a little. That wait turned into, like...2 weeks or something? Anyway, I lament, but school took over my life. I had a mini heart-attack when I realized the AP exam was in less than 3 weeks and I had yet to re-memorize the entire history of the world sans America from 8000 BCE to 2000 CE and be prepared to write an 3 essays on any insignifigant event the people of the College Board decide to torture us with. To say the least, writing and uploading LoSH drabbles kind of got set on the back burner. But here I am again! This one I think everyone will be happy with (that is, if you can stand my writing in the first place...haha) because there are no pairings (unless you like to imagine things, 'cause I didn't set out to make this a pairing fic) and it's Superman centered! Yay! It's long (another good thing) and I tried really, _really _hard. I've been working on my writing technique lately! Let's see if it made a difference...so, if you guys don't hate me, I'd love reviews! I really enjoy reading them, 'cause you guys are the best! You always make me feel great. Enjoy!**

**I don't own...oh, come on. Are you going to make me say it again? Fine. *mutters 'I don't own LoSH or any related characters, nor do I own Tarzan, Phil Collins, or any lyrics associated'*. Oh yeah, I'm still on a Phil rage. You may recognize this song!**

7. Strangers Like Me

_Whatever you do, I'll do it too_

_Show me everything and tell me how_

_It all means something_

_And yet nothing to me_

Clark soared over the bustling streets of New Metropolis, his eyes so wide it felt like they would pop out of his head. Just a small-town farm boy, he had never been to that many cities, and even the ones he did visit were nowhere near as crowded as these streets were. And every other person seemed to be from another planet- he'd already seen someone (or _something, _he shuddered) with blue skin and tentacles, another with four eyes and pink hair, and yet another with its brain quite visible suspended in a clear tank above its head, like something out of a cartoon he would watch back at home. Now, all of his fantasies and dreams (and stashes of comic books) were coming to life.

Of course, he was also flying next to someone with skin the deepest shade of green he'd ever seen, bright blonde hair, and magenta robot eyes. Someone he'd even exchanged words with and was ashamed when he'd thought of it (or he, as he came to realize) as strange, even though he was clearly inferior in the intelligence category. This newcomer had blown him away.

All these thoughts were so overwhelming that he had nearly crashed into five skyscrapers already, much to the amusement of his new friends. Even their outfits amazed him- the brightly colored spandex and outrageous styles that would only look appropriate on superheroes in some futuristic city, like in a Hollywood movie. And guess what? They were. And he was now officially one of them.

_I can see there's so much to learn_

_It's all so close, and yet so far_

_I see myself as people see me_

_Oh, I just know there's something_

_bigger out there_

"Hey, can I help you with that?" Clark asked, padding into the lab he just got directions to from a passing Legionnaire, who had been trying to conceal their laughter. What that was all about, he had no idea…

A small head popped out from behind a large piece of metal, scaring him half to death. "Excuse me?" Clearly, he thought, Brainiac 5 was not used to being asked a question like that. That was another thing he didn't quite understand. Yet.

The lab itself was something like a wonderland to him. Ingenious contraptions (their use he hadn't figured out yet), bubbling test tubes, gleaming mechanisms, and dangerous tools sat and hung from every available surface in the room, making it look somewhat like the domain of a mad scientist, albeit a neat and incredibly intelligent one. Maybe that was what the Legionnaire had been thinking…

"Can I help?" Clark asked again, his genuine good-naturedness overcoming his instinct that was screaming _get out now!!!_ If he was going to live in the 31rst century for a while, he had a lot of time on his hands, so he may as well spend it doing something worthwhile…

Brainiac 5 fixed him with an incredulous look, his eyebrows disappearing under his extraordinarily bright hair. Did this 4th level intellect (okay, that was a little harsh, but it was how Brainy _always_ acknowledged his teammates) from a 21rst century _farm_ just ask what he thought he just asked?

"_You…_want to know…if you can help…_me?" _Brainy asked slowly, giving Clark ample time to leave. But the ebony-haired teen didn't take the hint, and continued to stand there, that stupid (maybe not stupid…_oblivious) _grin on his face.

"Yeah! If you needed any, that is. I don't really have anything to do around here…and I'm really good with my hands, I build stuff all the time! So if you don't mind the extra company…" Clark said, holding up his arms to display hands that really looked like they had done quite a bit of work. They were firm, calloused, and lightly tanned, much like the rest of him. He continued to smile, waiting for a response.

Brainy sat a few more moments, still appearing stunned and unable to answer. Then he slowly got up and walked over in front of the would-be Superman, who was at least three feet taller than him. This lack of height didn't seem to affect the Coluan in any way, though…in fact, it made him seem even more intimidating and imposing, if that was possible. He looked up into Clark's sky blue eyes, a tiny smile on his impish face. A frightening smile, Clark couldn't help but notice.

"Let's get a few things straight, shall we? Nobody enters my lab without my direct permission, _nobody. _And no one asks to help with my projects, because my intelligent and my experience is _eons _beyond your human capabilities. _No one_ questions my knowledge, and no one, under any circumstances, _touches my belongings._ For their own safety, of course. You couldn't possibly understand the purpose of anything in the lab, and even if you were to get a foolish idea that you might, and decided to tamper with my things, you would wake up in a full body cast the next day when I figured out who did it. Do I make myself perfectly clear?"

Clark gulped, visibly shaken by the terrifying wave of authority and threat emanating from the blonde. One thing was for sure…he certainly hadn't expected this when he walked in, ready to help.

"Crystal," he said.

Brainy smiled and let the stony expression fade away. Clark relaxed slightly as he turned to walk away, but then stiffened up again when he spoke.

"What was that Bouncing Boy had said? Oh, yes…Clark, I believe this is the start of a beautiful…or at least, respectful…friendship."

After that show, Clark was completely baffled as to why Cosmic Boy and Lightning Lad were still the head honchos of the Legionnaires. Sure, they could be scary when they wanted, but they were nothing compared to what the petite, elfish, harmless-looking blonde child could do. He spent the rest of the afternoon contemplating this…as far away from the lab as he could possibly get.

_I wanna know, can you show me?_

_I wanna know about these_

_strangers like me_

_Tell me more, please show me_

_Something's familiar about these strangers like me_

"So what does this do?" Clark asked for the millionth time as he walked down the hall next to Bouncing Boy, who was chowing down on some unidentifiable food.

"Surveillance system. Don't touch it, Brainy hates when we touch it," Bouncy replied, his mouth full of his favorite snack (something unpronounceable- his favorite from Triplicate Girl's home planet she had introduced him too). He did not mind in the least how Clark trailed after him, constantly asking for explanations and identification (unlike some Legionnaires- namely green ones). In fact, it made him feel important…and Clark felt more and more like a best friend every minute. They both seemed to have similar personalities- enthusiastic, curious, fun-loving, and laid-back. And not to mention that Clark was actually from the 21rst century! Maybe now he'd have someone to watch movies with…

"Wow…" Clark said, ogling the device, but obediently keeping his hands away. With every step he took the things he saw seemed to get more and more mind-blowing. His head felt like it would explode with all this new information he had acquired. Just then, they entered the main room, and he spied yet another cool thing. "Oh…what's _that?!" _he asked Bouncy.

"The TV and video system. I've got a whole bunch of movies," Bouncy began, not hesitating to launch into his movie tangent that most Legionnaires couldn't stand. "_Night of the Living Dead_ and its sequel, and prequel, and…what comes after that? Anyway, I've also got the _Vampire Saga, Werewolf Rising, _although Timber Wolf banned that, _The Thing From the Lake, The Haunted Cabin, Full Moon Halloween, Don't Look Under the Bed, Monster Watch…_be careful with that one, I couldn't sleep for weeks…"

Clark hadn't heard of any of these movies, but they all sounded equally creepy. Were all films in the 31rst century in the horror genre?

"Or if scary movies aren't your thing, I've got _The Wizard of Oz…"_

"Oh! With Dorothy and Toto and…"

"…the Wicked Witch of the West?"

Suddenly both boys grinned at each other, finally coming to an understanding. "You actually watch movies like that in the 31rst century?" Clark asked.

"Well, I'm pretty sure it's just me, but I take it in stride!" Bouncy said confidently. "Hey, do you know _Buffy the Vampire Slayer_ or _The Little Shop of Horror?" _

"You bet I do!" Clark said enthusiastically.

"Alright! Wanna go look through my collection?" The two set off and soon had the entire room covered in old movie boxes, much to the displease of everyone else.

_Every gesture, every move that she makes _

_Makes me feel like never before_

_Why do I have_

_This growing need to be beside her?_

"Up by that building with the star on it, bank a sharp left…"

"And try to do a flip without hitting the side!"

"Triplicate Girl! He's just starting out! Don't confuse him!"

"Sorry! Okay, Clark, just do what Saturn Girl said!"

"Uh…I'll try…"

Clark flew alongside Saturn Girl, Triplicate Girl, and Phantom Girl, whose names he had just learned were Imra, Luornu, and Tinya (strange names, he thought, but hey, Clark must have seemed a strange name to them, too). Occasionally somersaulting and stopping awkwardly in order to not hit a ship, he tried to listen to their advice while maintaining a steady path.

He listened to Saturn Girl the most of the three. Her calm voice and patient attitude helped him to focus and actually not crash. Just then she was trying to show him how to turn quickly in midair.

"Alright, now gently angle the left side of your body up without flipping over…"

He managed to do this without too much trouble. Triplicate Girl flashed him a thumbs-up and dashed quickly in front of him, making him lose balance again.

"Trips! Quit being a showoff!" Phantom Girl yelled at her.

"Sorry!" Luornu laughed. "Again!"

Miraculously he steered past the side of the building without crashing, although he did slow down quite a bit. When they made it back to headquarters, he landing ungracefully on the ground and let out a shaky breath.

"Never again…" he moaned. Saturn Girl landed in front of him, perfectly postured and on her toes (and he couldn't help but notice that she could maneuver around better than he could in shoes with at least four inches of heel).

"Come now…" she said, smiling at him and extending a hand. He gripped it, and was surprised to find her strong enough to pull him up. "If you never try, you'll never succeed. I'm sure you can do it, you just need to get back in the air before you become too afraid to get off the ground."

"Yeah! We all freaked out when Brainy showed us the flight rings for the first time, but everyone gave it their best shot…and look at us now!" Triplicate Girl exclaimed, offering her first bit of useful advice all afternoon. Phantom Girl added, "And you're not that bad a flyer to begin with…you may think you're terrible, but you didn't see _me_ when I was first learning to fly. I almost destroyed the entire city!" she laughed.

Clark smiled sheepishly at them. "Gee, thanks, girls," he said gratefully. "I don't know how I would get around here without you!"

"You wouldn't!" Trips said, giggling hysterically, and launching herself at him in a merciless tackle-hug. The other two joined in, and they collapsed on the ground in a pile of laughter and smiles. At least until Garth, whose face was as red as his hair, came stomping out of the front entrance_, _glaring at them angrily. Saturn Girl blushed, and went to head him off before he could punch Clark.

_Ooo, these emotions __I never knew_

_Of some other world far beyond this place_

_Beyond the trees, above the clouds_

_I see before me a new horizon_

Clark sat in the dimly lit main room, surrounded by a pile of digipads and historical accounts discs. It was well into the night, and most of the team had retired to bed. He, however, took this opportunity to educate himself without anyone (meaning Lightning Lad or Brainy) to criticize him _yet again_ on his inferior knowledge of history. After his time, of course. Like it was his fault he had no idea what happened in the world after he died, let alone turned twenty! Heck, he was barely out of high school! He could name all the states in the country in alphabetical order, give their capital, which side they took in the Civil War, all the presidents and their political stance as well as their home state, the dates of both World Wars and important military figureheads, and not to mention give the function of every single national and international treaty signed between the dates 1850 and 1975. He was top of his World History class. He knew his stuff.

Just not the stuff that hadn't _happened _yet.

By two o'clock he had learned about the discovery of planets he hadn't known existed (though that was kind of the point of their discovery…) and the formation of the United Planets, whose head he realized was Tinya's mother. He became immersed in his fascination of these new lands, with cultures that were both startlingly similar and different to his own…

Just then, the door slid open and a dark figure entered the room. Clark looked up, surprised, and realized with a jolt how late it was. No wonder his eyes were drooping…

"What are _you _doing in here so late at night?" a familiar voice asked. A slight boy with ear-length blonde hair and deep purple eyes stepped into the light. Brainiac 5. Oh, great.

"Uh…" he said, trying to think how to respond. "Brushing up on my history. What are _you_ doing up this late?"

Brainy smiled as he walked over to where he sat. "_That's _none of your business," he said, picking up a digipad and smirking as he ignored Clark's look of disbelief and annoyance. "How far have you gotten?"

"Formation of the United Planets," Clark grumbled.

"Ah…" Brainy said knowingly, surveying the large pile. He sat down next to him and reached out to pick up a random pad.

"Try this one. It's about the building of the Superman museum. I'm sure you'll find it fascinating."

Clark took the pad from his hands and glanced at the title. **NEW METROPOLIS MAYOR TO CONSTRUCT TRIBUTE TO WORLD'S GREATEST SUPERHERO **it read.

"I'll get right on that," Clark said. Brainy smiled at him.

_I wanna know, can you show me?_

_I wanna know about these_

_strangers like me_

_Tell me more, please show me_

_Something's familiar about these strangers like me_

"You ever been to Tamborel?" Lightning Lad asked him suddenly as they were sitting in the Legion cruiser, awaiting an update from Brainy on their mission. Clark looked at him bewilderedly, never having heard of the planet (or city…or country…or whatever it was…). He didn't even know where they were for the _last_ mission. Someplace tropical…but that could have been anywhere. Maybe they didn't even leave Earth.

"Uh…no," he said lamely.

Garth smiled, clearly enjoying himself. "Well, what about Lrtsz?"

Clark shook his head. He couldn't fathom how someone could speak a word with that many consonants without getting their tongue twisted.

"How 'bout Rusbit?"

"Nope."

"Cratimeryll?"

"Sorry."

"Oh, don't be sorry for _me_, dude, feel sorry for _yourself!"_ Garth laughed, slapping the shoulder rests of his seat. He wiped away tears from his eyes and shook his head. "Wow, man, you haven't seen _anything_ till you've seen the waterfalls in _Cratimeryll!"_

"I don't even know what that is," Clark said irritably. Garth was really getting on his nerves. If he wasn't afraid that the red-haired teen would send volts of electricity shooting through him he probably would have dropped his good-boy behavior and told him off by now. Then again, he _was_ the one with the super-speed…

"It's _where_ that is, buddy," Garth said, narrowing his eyes and smiling evilly. "Not _what_ that is. It's a place, and like the ten billion other places you haven't been to, you have no idea what you're missing out on."

"Well, thanks for enlightening me," Clark said, hoping that would end the conversation.

But Lightning Lad kept going. "I mean, when you ended up on Mars, I figured you were someone who knew how to get places! But I guess I completely wrong, right?! You sad, sad 21rst century man. You don't know _anything_, man. You don't know _squat."_

"I've been to places that matter in _my _time," Clark said defensively. "I know things."

"Nothing that matters _here_, my friend," Garth answered, gesturing around himself. "We _need_ to get you places. Might I suggest we start at Cratimeryll, then make our way around the Kwentt system?" he said, moving toward the steering wheel.

"Sure. Whatever." Clark said, putting his head in his hands as he got a very bad feeling in the pit of his stomach. "Are you sure that's…"

Suddenly the ship jolted as Lightning Lad jerked the wheel sharply to the right, sending them careening out into space. _Oh geez, _Clark thought. _Brainy's going to be really mad when he comes back and finds we're not where he left us anymore._

_Come with me now to see my world_

_Where there's beauty beyond your dreams_

_Can you feel the things I feel_

_Right now, with you_

_Take my hand_

_There's a world I need to know_

"You know, back in Smallville, we didn't have spaceships or anything to fly around in. I mean, we had spaceships, but only NASA or the army or really important people could…_can_ use them." Clark tried to explain as he and the rest of the Legionnaire team descended from the cruiser after a relatively easy mission, as well as Clark's first time in the ship. It was fast, furious, and freaky…but definitely worthwhile. The speed was amazing; they whipped through galaxies in the blink of an eye. Back in high school physics class they had been taught that it would take centuries to reach even the closest planet by space travel. Apparently the people of the 31rst century had found a way around that.

"But…what did you use to get around?" Triplicate Girl asked, clearly puzzled. She gasped. "Did you have to _walk_ everywhere?"

Clark laughed. "No, we used cars."

"What's that?"

Clark widened his eyes in shock as he realized that cars were clearly a thing of the past (literally) to his friends of the future. Were they really so used to space travel that they had never heard of the most simple things…at least from his time? He figured that cassette tapes, or things like that, would be unheard of, but _cars?_

"You really don't know what a car is?" he sputtered. "Really?"

"Oh, we know what cars are," Bouncing Boy said, Brainiac 5 nodding in agreement next to him. "Luornu's just lived under a rock her whole life."

"I have not!"

"Speak for yourself!" Garth said, giving Bouncy a small push from behind. "_I've _never seen one. And I don't intend to. Ships are much better, and in my opinion, it would be useless to trouble yourself learning about things that were replaced so long ago. Worthless things, really."

Clark hung back a little and let the rest of the group past, chatting amiably about things he'd never heard about. He looked up at the sleek white ship and felt more alien in this new world then he'd ever felt before. Sure, things were fast and efficient, better than ever, but was the old world…_his_ world…really as backwards and ancient as his friends said it was? It was kind of depressing, he thought, that as time went on people become more and more obsessed with the present and increasingly forgot the past. He remembered when he first entered his senior social studies class he teacher had said that history can be a valuable tool to understanding the future. The professor had said, with almost a threatening tone, that those who didn't care to learn the past were doomed to repeat mistakes they could have learned to avoid. Clark had taken this message to heart…why as soon as he arrived in New Metropolis he had spent every waking moment at the Superman museum and library, learning about how the 31rst century came to be. But it seemed as though his friends weren't as studious as he. Or rather, Garth wasn't, at least. That hadn't really surprised him.

"Fascinating, isn't it?" someone said behind him. Clark turned to see Brainy still standing there, observing him gazing at the cruiser. Clark reddened at the thought of how dumb he must have looked, lost in his own thoughts, to the boy he had already embarrassed himself in front of. He assumed Brainy meant the ship.

"Oh…yeah, it's cool," he said. Then he suddenly remembered that Brainy was the one who did all the repairs and maintenance and practically _lived_ in the cruiser (when he wasn't in the lab, that is) and probably was very proud of it. _Cool_ seemed hardly a proper description.

"What I meant was, actually…" he started to say.

"And to think that we only have it because we began with the car," Brainy continued, walking leisurely down the steps. "They're so different…yet you can't get one without the other. We never would have been able to come up with the technology to build spaceships without first being able to make cars. Never would have made the jump. So actually, unlike what Garth's amazing obliviousness imagined, your car was quite a step, wasn't it?"

Clark stared dumbfounded at the blonde boy standing in front of him. Never would he have imagined that he would find understanding in _him._ Mister My-intelligence-is-eons-ahead-of-your-intelligence. But he was certainly glad to hear it.

"How did you…" he started to ask.

"That's what you were thinking, right?" Brainy said. "I must say, the 31rst century really is much more adept at efficiency, but I do appreciate some of the older technologies, unlike what most people believe. I've studied quite a bit, myself…although, my knowledge is still somewhat limited, considering my education on my home planet. They definitely aren't the most…_accepting_ of the rest of the universe. Coluans are quite…proud, and they wouldn't be caught praising any kind of technology they didn't develop themselves, let alone _ancient_ technology. Hence my mindset."

Clark thought this explained a lot, but he didn't say anything out loud.

"Anyway, I do find it interesting to meet someone who knows nothing _but_ this ancient technology…to us, at least. You must have had quite a shock, I'm realizing now. But you know…if you weren't opposed to it, I would very much like to understand exactly how it works. The car, I mean. I know it has similar parts and layout to the ship, but it's still very different…considering if you know, that is."

Clark realized that this was Brainy's roundabout way of asking him for help. "You want me to explain to you how a car works?"

Brainy sighed. "I believe I just said that."

"Woah…I-I guess so…" Clark said, still shocked.

"Why, is something wrong with that?"

"No, it's just…I never thought I'd hear you say that!" Clark said, finally relaxing and giving his new friend a big smile. Brainy unconsciously warmed to him. "It's great though…sure, I'll show you! I used to fix stuff on the farm all the time! I could even show you how a tractor works, if you want…"

"Uh, no. Thank you. I don't believe that will be quite useful."

"Oh, right…okay, well, come on! Oh, does that mean I can go in the lab?"

"Yes, you may, Superman."

"Great!"

As Clark set off for the lab with Brainy in tow, he was filled with ecstasy and excitement that finally he could be useful, and not just with his superpowers. Finally, someone was interested in what he knew…and the very last person he would have expected, too. But he didn't really mind, because the only thing he was thinking now was that finally he felt like he fit in with this strange, new world, among these strange, new people that in ways were just like him…just everyday teenagers trying to do the world a bit of good…but were still very, very different. He had finally found a place where he fit in, where he could be himself and nobody laughed at him (except when he _really _did something stupid, and then he didn't mind) and there were people he could laugh and have fun with who actually _cared _about him. And every day he could wake up and think _this is where I belong. _The way things could be from now on…it was all he could think about.

That, and the fact that Brainy had just called him Superman for the first time.

_That's right. I'm Superman. _

_Superman…_

_That's me. _

I am Superman.

_I wanna know, can you show me?_

_I wanna know about these_

_strangers like me_

_Tell me more, please show me_

_Something's familiar about these strangers like me_

_I wanna know…_


	8. Chapter 8

**Oh my gosh, how sad is this? It's been so long that I've forgotten how to upload a story. *cringes* I'm sorry...I really don't have an excuse. It was summer...and I just really didn't feel like being inside. I've been playing with my new laptop, doing schoolwork, and writing for this manga that I've fallen in love with called La Esperanca by Chigusa Kawaii (go read it so there's people to read my fics!) So yeah... and this chapter here isn't too long...blah. It's Vi's POV so if anyone here hates her, leave. I'm sticking true to fairly support all Brainy/ pairings to make everyone happy. **

**Now that school's almost back, I'm sure I'll be publishing a lot more! Wait...does anyone else think that sounds backwards? oh well...**

**disclaimer don't own any of this**

* * *

**8. Superman**

Help me.

I could practically see the words forming on his lips. It was the thing he needed to let out the most, if only he could say it everything would be alright.

But he didn't.

Instead, he kept his stoic attitude on, covering himself up like a dark veil. He still scowled at jokes, laughed at screw-ups, and sighed at stupidity.

But I saw inside of it.

I saw past the cloak covering up the scarred soul inside.

I saw past the uncaring stare and saw the pleading eyes.

I saw past the cold stares and felt a pang of sorrow.

And I saw past the heartless verbal slaps and heard the cry of pain.

And so I tried.

Not a whole overwhelming amount of pity. Brainiac 5 was a proud individual, and at the slightest incline to lending a hand he would angrily lash out. So a smile here, a comforting world there, I worked my magic.

But I wanted so badly for him to be better. It wasn't for me. Or maybe it was. Maybe I felt so unneeded that I had to interfere in a place I had no right to invade. And yet, I kept it up.

Working in the lab, I could catch glimpses of the real him. Sometimes he would smile a little wider at one of my ridiculous jokes, or would get a far-off gaze and drop whatever he was carrying.

I felt so scared for him. I couldn't bear the thought of having something happen, and he being hurt. I feared he would keep all of his problems bottled up inside until it was too late. Too late to save him.

I wondered if he worried as much about himself as I did. I wondered if he actually _wanted _to be saved. But then again, I could tell he was a person who cared more for the lives of others than himself. Regardless of Kel or Cosmic Boy's harsh words, I knew that given the opportunity, he would give his life willingly to save another.

And that's what I feared was going to happen.

I wasn't the only one, though. I know it. Superman, the most obvious person. And Bouncing Boy. And Saturn Girl. More often than not I see one of them hesitate in front of his lab door before continuing on, as if debating going inside and trying to talk to him. Or talking in hushed tones, and then I'll hear the name 'Brainy' said quietly.

They each had their own methods. Saturn Girl would use her gentleness subtly, trying to gain an understanding of his thoughts. Of course, that's easier said than done. And Bouncy, he tries. His endless food-related humor, crazy antics, and elevated fear of scary movies whenever Brainy's around is proof of that. And Superman…he won't pause outside the lab. He'll barge right in.

The thing is, Brainy almost always listens. He'll take his advice and use it. He'll try his hardest to live up to his words. And Brainy's always been like that.

I don't want to be rude, or selfish. But why won't he listen to _me_ like that? Why whenever I get ready to ask him straightforward what's wrong do I chicken out because I fear he'll become angry with me?

Why does it seem like he still doesn't like me?

Is it because I'm a girl? Or am I still 'Legion's Least Needed Member' to him? I thought we ended that a long time ago. I thought we left it behind with Lightning Lad's arm, the first time we ever clearly saw eye to eye. Maybe not.

But there's just one thing I wish I could tell him. One thing I wish he would understand.

I can't be Superman.


End file.
